Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Interesting fact of the day!

I'm in the midst of analyzing data from my surveys to add to our book on HA recovery (more on that soon!!!)

I was looking at what percentage responded to Provera by getting a bleed, and how long after the last pill that bleed typically was. I also decided to look at whether bleeding in response to Provera predicted recovery of natural cycles.

Answers:

* 18% (48 / 256) responded to Provera the first time they tried it (most likely while working towards getting a diagnosis).
* 26% (31/119) responded to a subsequent Provera challenge.

* The median time to response was three days after the last pill
* 95% bled by five days after the last pill,
* All but one (out of 86 reporting time to bleed) responded by eight days after the last pill

The interesting fact of the day is that responding to Provera in no way predicted recovery of natural periods!

* 46% of those who bled in response to Provera restored natural cycles (prior to moving to treatment to get pregnant)
* 47% of those who did not bleed resumed natural cycles.

For all intents and purposes, the same. I would have expected that bleeding in response to Provera would strongly predict regaining natural cycles. Apparently not!

Do you have any data on how much time passed between passing or failing the provera challenge and cycling or getting pregnant without cycling? Or weight differences? (I failed the provera challenge, but did resume cycling before getting pregnant - naturally! - but something like five years had passed, and I was at least ten pounds heavier. I bet I would have passed the challenge if we'd tried it again during the year or so I was at my cycling weight before I actually cycled.

What was your period like when you finally got it back? I know I ovulated 10 days ago, and now Im spotting, and I am unable to determine whether its my period or not. I either had a super short LP, or its implantation bleeding. Thoughts?

Anon, my period was fairly normal, started with a little spotting, then I'd usually have a light day, then heavy, medium, light and then spotting for another day or two. But we are all different! If you don't do more than spot then it could be implantation, but if it turns into full flow it's probably the real deal and a short-ish LP (although really not too bad in the grand scheme of things). xo

About Me

Thought I would "get healthy" in preparation for having a baby. Lost 20lbs to a BMI of around 20 in May-Jun '04. Went off the pill right after that, and surprise surprise, didn't even get my period. Diagnosed with hypothalamic amenorrhea. Gained some weight, cut exercise, didn't have anyone else with HA to ask questions of, so ended up moving to injectables, 4 BFN cycles. Surprise natural pregnancy while waiting to do IVF (and having gained those 20lbs back, cut my exercise 50%). DS#1 born 08/2006. Cycled fairly normally 1 year later, DS#2 born 09/2008. Cycles returned 10 months later. M/c 06/2010, then DS#3 born 04/2012 through IVF.